Startup Embassy

Get ready for an immersive experience at the “Startup Embassy: Estonia’s Digital Playground“.
The event will occur in the Estonian Ambassador’s Residence in London on December 6th, 2023, starting at 5:30 PM. Join us for an evening of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit as we delve into the vibrant world of Estonia’s startup scene.

In the heart of London, Startup Embassy invites you to uncover Estonia’s boundless potential and possibilities.

Just imagine a land where private and public sectors have seamlessly come together, nurturing innovation. A land where ancient traditions meet cutting-edge technology daily and where groundbreaking ideas are always easy to come by due to nature’s tranquillity that never ceases to inspire. A land where you will discover a harmonious blend between progress and a profound connection to the environment where the age-old tradition of wood-fired saunas can coexist with robots.

Whether you are a visionary entrepreneur looking to take your new startup to new heights while maintaining a high quality of life or a talent seeking an environment where your career can thrive, this event is for you.

You bring your dreams and vision; we will provide you with the insights and connections you need to make your dreams come true.

the people you'll meet

Viljar Lubi

Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom

Kaspar Korjus

co-founder of Pactum

Kaspar Korjus was the founding Managing Director of Estonia e-Residency from 2014-2019. He has assisted governments worldwide to become digital and borderless. In 2019, he co-founded Pactum, an AI-based tool for automating business negotiations. He is on the Forbes Estonia ’30 under 30′ number 1 in the Technology and Finance column. US CTO Megan Smith elected him as one of the 20 global digital leaders. In 2019, Kaspar was nominated as JCI 10 Most Outstanding Young Persons of the World. Furthermore, he has been awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau by the King of the Netherlands, His Majesty Willem-Alexander, for recognition of his notable contributions to improving societies worldwide. This makes him one of the youngest knights you could ever encounter.

Kristel Kruustük

co-founder of Testlio

Kristel Kruustük is the Founder and Board Director of Testlio. She is deeply passionate about software testing and entrepreneurship and is driven to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry. She is also a big advocate of finding harmony in one’s life and promotes diversity and female leadership in the startup ecosystem. Outside of work, she is also a mother of two boys. She has been nominated for many awards, including 100 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2022 by the US Business magazine, Global Startup Awards, Diversity Role Model of the Year, and Financer TOP10 most influential and entrepreneurial Estonian women in 2021, Outstanding Young Estonian / TOP 2020.

Taavi Kotka

founder of Koos

Taavi Kotka is the first-ever Chief Information Officer who, in 2013, got to oversee Estonia’s development into an advanced digital nation. He started his career as a programmer in the private sector before taking on the challenge of becoming the CEO of the region’s largest software development company, Nortal, previously known as Webmedia. When Taavi was the CEO, he was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

While Taavi was Estonia’s CIO, he introduced numerous new ideas that define the concept of ‘e-Estonia’ today. Many of these practices have also been copied and implemented by other governments worldwide. E-Residency, a concept that has placed Estonia into the epicentre of the global tech community, was first Taavi’s idea. Other ideas include data embassies, country-as-a-service (CAAS), the no-legacy policy, and VAT fraud detection. Because of his excellent contribution to the public sector, Taavi was named European CIO of the Year in 2014 and received Estonia’s prestigious White Star III Class Order in 2016.

Today, Taavi is helping startups develop and consulting large enterprises and governments on digital transformation. In addition, he is currently a special advisor to the European Commission vice-president Andrus Ansip on the European Digital Single Market. He is currently also the founder and CEO of KOOS. This startup enables communities to become co-owners of companies they love, creating a culture of shared success by issuing virtual shares.

Chris Shirley

Founder of Haus of Hiatus

Chris Shirley, a former Royal Marines officer and advisor to the BBC. He has been in Estonia for over a year and is on his second Estonian Digital Nomad visa. Travelled in over 60 countries, he is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Guinness World Record holder from

across the Atlantic Ocean, and a Marathon des Sables finisher. ‘Haus of Hiatus’ is a digital studio that he founded. It designs and amplifies startups, scale-ups and special projects around the world.

He has an impressive portfolio of work, including collaborations with Hollywood actors, famous musicians and TV personalities. His work has also been recognised by the United Nations, Red Bull, and BBC and shown even at the South Pole.

Taavi Tamkivi

Taavi Tamkivi is the founder and CEO of Salv, a regtech company established in 2018. With a background spanning over a decade, Taavi played a pivotal role in developing compliance, AML, and fraud solutions at Wise and Skype. He contributed significantly to their evolution from local startups to global unicorns.During his tenure at Skype, Taavi gained firsthand insights into the complexities of managing and analysing extensive data sets. At Wise, he recognised the importance of creating iterative, rapidly scalable tools that effectively address the ever-evolving landscape of financial crime.Taavi holds positions as a Board Member and Head of the AML work group within the European Fintech Association. His contributions underscore his commitment to driving advancements in security and regulatory practices.

Kristi Veskus

Marketing Manager at Work Estonia

Kristi Veskus is an accomplished marketing communications specialist with extensive global marketing experience. She is deeply committed to promoting Estonia as a destination of choice and attracting top international talent to the country’s thriving tech industry. Kristi holds a degree in International Business Administration from TalTech and is dedicated to contributing to Estonia’s tech sector’s continued growth and success.

linkedin.com/in/kristiveskus

Annika Järs

Startup Visa Development Manager

Annika Järs is the Startup Visa and Foreign Relations Development Manager at Startup Estonia. Her role is to promote the growth and success of Estonian startups by creating global connections, facilitating access to top-tier worldwide talent, and building bridges that link international founders with Estonia’s thriving startup community.

linkedin.com/in/annika-jars

Pallas Mudist

Digital Nomad Visa Project Manager

Pallas Mudist has a multifaceted background that includes experience in history, architecture publishing, entrepreneurship, and event organisation. He spearheads the Estonian Digital Nomad Visa project to establish Estonia as a hub for global talent, digital nomads, and remote workers.

linkedin.com/in/pallas-mudist

your hosts

Estonia has a vibrant and welcoming startup community, eager to support ambitious individuals and startups. We invite you to be a part of the ecosystem, already home to more than 1500 startups and 10 unicorns.

The Estonian Startup Visa helps non-EU founders grow their startup in Estonia, one of the world’s best places to start and run a company. It also eases the process for Estonian startups to hire non-EU talent. If your product packs innovation and has the potential to scale, the Estonian Startup Visa or Scale-up Visa may be just the ticket.

Launched in January 2017, the startup visa program enables citizens of non-EU countries to work for Estonian startups, move existing startups here or start new ones in Estonia. The startup visa is one of the most important steps that the state of Estonia has taken to support and promote the IT sector. It is estimated that 20% of the startups in the Estonian Startups Database are founded thanks to the Estonian Startup Visa. They contribute significantly to the development of the ecosystem.

Work in Estonia is a government funded initiative to support Estonia´s rapidly growing ICT and technology sector. Our area of expertise is talent attraction management- by introducing Estonia as a top choice for talented ICT and engineering experts word wide, and locally supporting with talent retention and integration.

Effortlessly accessible and compact, you can take your business anywhere in Estonia and still have all the time in the world. Whether it’s enjoying Tallinn’s busy startup scene, walking in pristine Nordic nature, connecting with the lively digital nomad community, or simply getting a restful night’s sleep. Even with 24 short hours, everything’s possible in Estonia.

As the world’s most digitised country, Estonia continues to pave the way for digital nomads. Estonia was the first to launch an e-Residency programme for global entrepreneurs. It was also the first country to create a Digital Nomad Visa enabling foreign nationals to work in Estonia and travel across Europe.

Invest Estonia’s mission is to help foreign investors grow their businesses and improve their competitiveness. They also help create conditions needed for sustainable development in the Estonian economy.

They are a reliable, long-term and preferred partner for foreign investors in the Baltic Sea region. Their agency has been awarded the Top Investment Agency title by Site Selection Magazine for three consecutive years (2018 – 2020), in 2020 it received United Nations Investment Promotion Award for Excellence in response to the COVID-19 crisis and in 2021, its digitalisation programme was included in UNESCO’s global list of top 100 most promising AI projects.